Suzuki GP: The failure of the champion
SUZUKI GRAND PRIX In the last transitional year until the official one-make cup 2019 with the new Swift Sport, the loyal Suzuki sportsmen carry out their fights in the L2-1600 class. First winner of the season in Frauenfeld is Fabian Eggenberger, last year's champion Sandro Fehr experienced a black day. What lasts a long time, finally became good. In April came the new Suzuki [...]
What was long in coming was finally good. In April, the new Suzuki Swift Sport came onto the Swiss market. The delayed production also had an impact on the Suzuki Grand Prix within the Swiss Slalom Championship.
In order to be able to seriously prepare the re-launch to an official one-make cup - as it was until 2015 - with the new 1400 turbo model, there will be another transition year with the previous Swift Sport in the L2-1600 class, but with the same high premiums (a total of 5250 francs per run) for the participants.
The sporty brand ambassadors appreciate this, and so eleven drivers lined up at the start of the first race at the Frauenfeld slalom. This went rather turbulently for the two usually best pilots in the field...
Fabian Eggenberger: From Zero to Hero
After the first run, Heiko Leiber surprisingly led the ranking ahead of Sandro Fehr and Gilbert Denzer, who were equal in time. Fabian Eggenberger, with whom Leiber took turns at the wheel, was last in gross terms (not including the gate errors) for this...
Fabian Eggenberger: "I choked too hard during a gear change and unhooked the shift cable. With choking, I still got fifth gear in and rolled to the finish. After that, I stopped right away and put the cable back in."
Since the man from Zurich didn't know whether it would hold, he completed the second run ahead of Leiber. In his excitement, he forgot to switch off the ESP, so he lost time again during acceleration. After that, however, he managed a dream run in a time that should be enough for the class win.
A day to forget for Sandro Fehr
Last year's champion suffered a completely different fate after bonuses. Sandro Fehr came to Frauenfeld top prepared and finally failed exactly because of that.
Sandro Fehr: "I kept watching my winning run from last year on the video at home and had saved it exactly. That's how I wanted to get a good time again. In the end, I stiffened up far too much on this pattern, so that I could no longer react to the changed circumstances with the significantly warmer weather."
Because his tires and brakes were not up to scratch, Fehr overtaxed both. Like the rubber, the braking performance also deteriorated in the second run. The consequences were slips and two pylons shot away, which damaged the left and right fenders. His first run was only good enough for fifth place.
First podium for Gilbert Denzer
On the other hand, Heiko Leiber was almost as good as Eggenberger and thus ensured the double victory for the Zurich car. Both are aware, however, that Fehr only pulled in a black day and will report back - perhaps as early as Saturday morning in Interlaken.
In third place, Gilbert Denzer was able to celebrate his first podium finish. Bruno Bleiker, 2017 winner in Saanen and third in the premium ranking, touched a gate in the first run and was only one hundredth behind the Basel-Landman in the second run.
Denis Wolf had to find out that the Suzuki Grand Prix is not a gimmick even without official status on the part of the sporting authority. As at the 2017 finale in Ambri, the Renault Classic Cup champion took turns at the wheel of Dario Zutter's car.
Wolf was only 2.24 seconds off the lead, but that was no more than 6th place ahead of Igor Rodella and Zutter. The stakes are high with these small cars...
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